No Progress in US-Russia Talks on Ukraine After Extended Meeting

In a significant diplomatic effort, the United States and Russia failed to achieve any progress towards a peace agreement concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine after a lengthy meeting held late on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with two special envoys from former President Donald Trump: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The discussions, which lasted for five hours, did not result in any compromises or plans for a subsequent summit between the two leaders, as reported by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Ushakov described the dialogue as both 'constructive' and 'substantive', emphasising that the conversation was thorough. He stated, 'The discussion was very useful, constructive and very substantive and lasted for not five minutes but five hours,' as cited by The New York Times.

During the meeting, President Putin reviewed a series of proposals from the United States, which had been outlined in four documents submitted to the Kremlin prior to the talks. According to Ushakov, while there were some areas of agreement, there were also significant points of contention. 'We could agree on some things, and the president confirmed this to his interlocutors,' he noted. However, he acknowledged that certain proposals were met with criticism.

The discussions reportedly included references to the 'territorial problem', a term the Kremlin uses to describe Russia's claims over the Donbas region. Despite these claims, Ukraine maintains control over approximately 5,000 square kilometres of territory that Russia asserts belongs to it, with the majority of countries recognising the Donbas as part of Ukraine.

Ushakov further conveyed that President Putin extended 'a series of important signals' and personal greetings to Trump during their discussions, although specifics were intentionally withheld from the media. He confirmed that ongoing communication between the two nations remains essential, stating, 'But there’s still a lot of work to be done, both in Washington and in Moscow. That’s what’s been agreed upon. And contacts will continue.'

A 28-point peace proposal from the United States, unveiled last month, has faced backlash from Ukraine and various European governments for being overly favourable to Moscow. Following feedback from Kyiv and European partners, U.S. officials indicated that some aspects of the plan had been revised.

Ahead of the meeting, Putin adopted a firm stance, insisting on Russia's commitment to advance militarily while characterising Ukraine's leadership as increasingly weakened. Just prior to his meeting with Witkoff, he remarked that while Russia does not seek conflict with Europe, should one arise, it would conclude rapidly, leaving no opportunity for negotiation. He also threatened to restrict Ukraine's access to the sea in response to drone assaults on Russian vessels in the Black Sea. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, interpreted these comments as indicative of Putin's unwillingness to pursue peace, as reported by Reuters.

Trump's proposed peace framework calls for Europe to take on the majority of financial and security responsibilities for a post-war Ukraine, despite European nations not being consulted during its initial creation. 'Our people are over in Russia right now to see if we can get it settled. Not an easy situation, let me tell you. What a mess,' Trump commented in Washington on Tuesday.